For both mother and child, infantile colic gives them something to cry about. 

According to medical experts, infantile colic can be defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.¹  Although the medical experts are yet to come to a consensus regarding the cause, chiropractors all agree that we should look to the spine — childbirth can be very traumatic for the young human spine, with the neck and head experiencing a great degree of compression, rotation, extension and traction.

Chiropractors understand that when a child is inconsolable, it’s not only the child who suffers – a colicky infant can easily affect the psychological, emotional and physical health of the entire family.  This is why chiropractors urge parents to seek immediate care if the infant is exhibiting signs of colic. 

When working with an infant or child, a chiropractor does not claim to be curing the syndrome known as ‘colic’.  He or she simply looks to the spine for areas that do not appear to be aligned and/or moving properly, and then applies gentle pressure to reestablish proper mechanics for those involved vertebrae.  The result: better ease in the child’s nervous system, less tension in the musculoskeletal system, happier babies, and happier mommies!  If the chiropractor cannot detect areas of misalignment or dysfunction, no treatment is given, and the baby is referred to a medical specialist for further tests.

Research supports the use of chiropractic care for babies who are experiencing the signs and symptoms of infantile colic.  Often, only a few adjustments are needed to produce dramatic results.^2-5

In one such case, a 7-week old infant presented with medically-diagnosed colic that was persistent since birth.  Symptoms included reflux and disturbed sleep.  Vertebral Subluxation Complex patterns were noted in the upper cervical and mid-thoracic areas of his spine.  This child achieved complete resolution under chiropractic care, involving adjustments to the areas mentioned above, in less than 3 weeks of treatments.²

In 1985, investigators began studying larger numbers of children to see if chiropractic care was a valid treatment method for patients with colic.  Data retrieved from a retrospective questionnaire surveyed the parents of 132 infants with colicky symptoms.  According to the survey, 91% of these parents reported an improvement in their children’s symptoms, within the first week of chiropractic care.⁶ 

In yet another study conducted four years later, 316 infants with moderate to severe colic (average 5.2 hours of crying per day) were treated, and their responses to care were reported by their mothers in a prospective survey.  94% of the children showed a satisfactory response with an average of only three treatments within two weeks.  One fourth of these infants showed great improvement after the very first chiropractic adjustment!⁷ 

In 1999, one of the most compelling studies was undertaken to investigate the effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic versus treatment with the drug dimethicone.  Fifty infants were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups:  dimethicone daily for two weeks or spinal manipulation for two weeks by a local chiropractor.  The infants in the chiropractic group received an average of 3.8 adjustments.

During the two-week treatment period, the parents kept a colic diary and nurses visited the families to administer a weekly “infantile colic behavior profile.” The results showed that the mean ‘colicky hours’ decreased in both groups by day 3 (approximately 40% less), but where the results of the dimethicone group remained constant after day 3, the results in the chiropractic group continued to improve — ‘colicky hours’ reduced by an additional 20% by day 7, and another 10% by day 11.  Overall, symptoms improved by an average of almost 70% in the entire chiropractic group of patients.

Although all of the chiropractic patients completed the entire course of treatments, 9 out of 25 subjects dropped out from the medication side.  When parents were asked why they left the study, two described their child’s condition as “worsened” and two others described it as “much worsened.” Had these four infants completed the study, they would have significantly lowered the apparent positive effects of dimethicone. This study strongly suggests that chiropractic treatments are a valid treatment option for children with infantile colic.⁸

Next time you hear someone complaining about their child’s incessant crying, mention to them that chiropractic care may be a viable option — they will be glad you did. 

Before worried parents consider bringing their child to a chiropractor, however, it is suggested that they call ahead to see if the chiropractor is comfortable treating babies.  Chiropractic adjustments delivered to infants are modified from those used with adults, and are much more gently applied.  Chiropractors who are baby-friendly often take extra courses of study to learn these specified adjustments.  We want to ensure you receive the best care possible, in an environment that is comfortable for both the patient and the practitioner.

References:

1.        Am Fam Physician. 2004 Aug 15;70(4):735-40.

2.        Hipperson, AJ. Chiropractic Management of Infantile Colic. Clinical Chiropractic 2004; 7(4):180–186.

3.        Van Loon, M. Colic With Projectile Vomiting: A Case Study. Journal Of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics 1998 Aug; 3(1): 207-10.

4.        Sheader, WE. Chiropractic management of an infant experiencing breastfeeding difficulties and colic: a case study. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, 1999; 4(1).

5.        Pluhar GR, Schobert PD. Vertebral subluxation and colic: a case study. J of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation 1991; 7:75-76.

6.        Nilsson N. Infantile colic and chiropractic.  Eur J Chiro 1985; 33(4): 264-65.

7.        Klougart N, Nilsson N and Jacobsen J. Infantile colic treated by chiropractors: a prospective study of 316 cases. J Manip Physiol Ther 1989 (Aug);12 (4): 281-288.

8.        Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson N. The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled clinical trial with a blinded observer.  J Manip Physiol Ther 1999;22:517-22.